What is populism? Is it synonymous with racism? Is it right or left? Is it the same as authoritarianism? Is it always in the antipodes of liberal pluralism and respect for diversities? And above all, is it good or bad for democracy? The explosion of the concept not only in the academic field but also in the public discussion has generated much confusion: it is linked to fake news and the new right, to the politics of post-truth and fascism. Beyond positions for or against, populism is a core part of the contemporary world that is vital to understand.
Benjamin Moffitt, one of the leading experts on the subject, manages to disarm automatic partnerships and build a masterful landscape, useful for both specialists and readers eager to understand politics. Using examples from the last twenty years, from the Global North and Latin America, and ordering a bibliography that may prove unencompassing, Moffitt explains what populism is and what is at stake in the debates about its meaning; what are the conceptual and normative engines behind the different schools of thought; how populism interacts with other key “isms” such as nationalism, nativism, socialism
In a world beset by polarization, the intensification of anti-elite sentiment and the increasingly supportive media, populism will not disappear in the near future. Examining it without blinders is not a purely academic question: how we label and conceive leaders, parties and movements is relevant because those labels affect the way we judge their legitimacy and validity in the political system. This book, a precise and brilliant synthesis, offers an essential orientation to clear the discussion.